Catherine, daughter of Josephine and Michael Russo, loving wife of Nicholas Romano passed away at her home with her daughter by her side.
She is survived by her daughter Pamela Romano, two sisters, Mildred Myers and Maryann Foley, both of Norristown, Pa. and a brother Anthony Russo of Washington Crossing, Pa.
Preceding her in death is her sister Pauline Basile.
Catherine was a successful and an accomplished career woman and held many prestigious positions including executive assistant to the president of Alan Wood Steel Company, executive assistant at Meehan-Weinmann and Daniel J. Keating Companies, and legal assistant to the government lawyers at Resolution Trust Corporation. She received an award for superior performance from Washington D.C. when she was with Resolution Trust Corporation.
Catherine led a full life that not only included her career but extensive travelling around the world.
Catherine moved with her daughter to Dallas in 1997 from Norristown. Pa. She was fully dedicated to her daughter and was instrumental in building her career.
Catherine was a member of Saint Ann’s Parish in Coppell.
She will be greatly missed by her daughter, family and friends.
A mass to celebrate her life will be held at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Coppell, Texas on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 2pm.
A reception in honor of Catherine will be held immediately after the Mass at St. Ann's Catholic Church.
Flowers will be accepted at Rolling Oaks Funeral Home or donations can be made in Catherine's memory to St. Ann's Catholic Church.
EULOGY
Catherine Teresa Russo Romano was a daughter, a sister, a sister in law, an aunt, a Godmother, a friend, a wife and my mother.
My mom went by many names…Cass, Catsy, Kay, Cathy, Katerina, Katita.
My mother was a career woman. She worked all her life. She was never without a job. She held various positions from executive assistant to the president of Alan Wood Steel Company to an executive legal assistant to the government lawyers. She received awards from Washington D.C. for her superior performance. She was good at what she did, and people loved her personally and professionally. She valued her career.
My mother was full of life. Loved to laugh, a lot and loved to tease a lot. She was the funny one. Always having a good time. She loved holidays with the family. She loved to travel. She loved the sun and the beach. She loved fashion, she loved to shop, she loved to decorate, especially at Christmas. She loved music and she loved to dance.
She loved my father in a very different way. She once wrote” Nicky and I do argue a little but never fight. They say true love never runs smooth so ours must be truer than true”
She was happy living here in Dallas. She loved going to mass here at St. Ann’s and listening to the choir. She loved our house, she loved her neighbors, drank tequila with her favorite neighbor and she loved her many Dobermans.
My mother was always dressed to the nines. Her nails were always done…. manicure and pedicure. And her hair was always perfect. Having her hair done was a very important thing to my mother. The most important thing. Every week without fail. It made her complete.
My mother was always in control. She was a fighter. She fought for her career. She fought for her daughter and she fought for her life. Nothing scared my mother.
My mother was a strong woman. She never cracked under pressure. She was as solid as they come. She had strong values. She was tough in her love and tough in her life. She never accepted “no” for an answer and she weathered many storms in her life. Much of them alone.
Her strength really manifested itself towards the end of her life. Her strength to live, regardless of the fight was incredible. She was fortunate to have the Ayala family as great caregivers. They were her angels…. especially Marcela. Marcela was there for her in the beginning and there for her at the end. She loved her and cared for her through many years and never left her.
You know they say it takes a strong woman to make a strong woman. Well.....my mother got that from her mother, but her strength and courage was beyond compare. I can only hope and pray that I am half the woman my mother was.
I was so very blessed to have her as my mother. She sent me to the best of schools. She made me take every lesson there was…. tap dance, ballet, piano, organ, signing, modeling…. you name it, I took it. She unconditionally supported me in my career and she unconditionally loved me. As her only child, we were together and inseparable all our lives. I could not have achieved what I did in my life without her. She counseled me, guided me and always steered me in the right direction. She knew when I needed a push, when I needed a hug.
She used to say to me” Listen to what your heart is saying and follow your heart”.
She was my very best friend and she was my rock.
She devoted her entire life to me. Her focus was me.
I love you mom, as high as the sky, as wide as the world and as deep as the ocean.
My good memories of everything we shared together will always live in my heart. But I cannot imagine life without you by my side.
She is yours now, Lord.
Love her as unconditionally as she loved me. As unconditionally as I will always love her.
READINGS
First Reading Proverbs 31:10, 25-31
A reading from the book of Proverbs.
A worthy mother,
her value is far beyond pearls.
She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs at the days to come.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
and her tongue is kindly counsel.
She watches the conduct of her household,
and eats not her food in idleness.
Her children rise up and praise her;
Many are the women of proven worth,
but you have excelled them all.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her a reward of her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
The Word of the Lord.
Second Reading 2 Timothy 4:6-8
A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy
I am already being poured out like a libation. The time of my dissolution is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. From now on a merited crown awaits me; on that Day of the Lord, just judge that he is, will award it to me--and not only to me but to all who have looked for his appearing with eager longing.
The Word of the Lord.
Memories from Anthony Russo
Good afternoon. My name is Anthony Russo and I am Catherine’s younger brother.
On behalf of my entire family, I would like to thank you for coming today to help us celebrate Catherine’s life. We are all here because we loved her.
So, thank you.
Catherine.
How do I best describe her?
First, my sister had a great sense of humor.
Or, I could focus on my sister’s kindness, which was great.
Anyone who knew Catherine is aware that she was a kind and gentle person.
Or I could talk about her strength, -
Being the eldest of 5 siblings growing up as a child during the depression and the shortages of WWII she, as all of the eldest children of that time, had to often take on many household chores and responsibilities for her younger siblings.
Or, her love to travel.
Or, her love for shopping.
I remember the time I went to visit her. She wasn’t home but stacked on the back porch were at least a dozen white plastic chairs.
Strange I thought.
As I was about to leave, Catherine comes up the driveway with white chair legs sticking out of every car window.
I said Catherine what's with all the chairs.
She was so excited and said they are having a sale but limited to four to a customer.
Not knowing what to say I asked, Catherine what are you going to do with all these chairs?
She said, “…maybe I’ll have a party”.
Catherine at a young age taught me the art of the deal and a strange form of negotiating.
It was buying a jacket for my first holy communion.
She took me to Sears and I must have tried on every jacket – the poor salesmen; along with me were at our wit's end.
Finally, my sister said, we would take this one.
I did not understand because the sleeves were down to my knuckles.
She then wanted to know, “when it was going on sale?”
Needless to say we got it at the sale price.
BUT that isn’t the end of the story
Sunday came and the sleeves had been pinned up along with the size label sewn to the end of the sleeve. On Sunday I received my First Holy Communion
On Monday Catherine and I marched back to Sears and showed them the jacket. She told them it didn’t fit and she wanted her money back.
You have gotta love Cassie!
These are all parts of the Catherine I know and love. All parts, which make up a bigger picture, that’s harder to define.
Life has a way of shifting and changing in unexpected directions and Catherine’s life had several of these twists and turns.
From her unique marriage-- to the joy of her life, the birth of her daughter, Pam.
Pam became the sole focus of Catherine’s life.
The determined, driven focus that Pam was going to make it on Broadway.
The countless hours of dance lessons to the final realization (after the TED MACK amateur hour a local Philadelphia TV show)-that Pam wanted, or perhaps needed, a different career.
That different career took Pam and Catherine to Texas.
Catherine was so, so happy here in Texas.
So, what do I say about my sister?
I can say without any doubt that she loved her daughter, her nieces and nephews, and her pets beyond measure.
That she valued her family, in whatever configuration or conflict, above all else.
A sister who never abandoned me. Who’s arms were always open to me even with all my faults, she remained my sister.
That she was loyal, decent and kind.
She loved a good joke and she loved a big hug. ---
She liked shopping more than anyone else I’ve ever met.
Was she perfect? Far from it.
Was she good? Absolutely.
Will I miss her? Without a doubt.
Is she happy now? I’d like to think so.
I can say that my life is better because of her enduring love, as well as the legacy that she has left in the form of my beautiful niece Pammy.
Catherine is now whole, and we are still healing as we hold her close in our hearts.
And finally, whenever my sister, which was often, said something that we disagreed with, she always said “I’M just saying”. Well Catherine we do not disagree; we will miss you terribly.
Thank you for joining us today and thank you for loving my sister.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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